World War II U.S. Navy veteran 2nd Class Petty Officer Herbert “Bill” Harrison, 94, sits in his Hemet garage in 2014. He survived a super-typhoon off the coast of Okinawa Sept. 16, 1945. His book, “6 Days On A Raft,” is being turned into a $30 million movie.

The cover of Herbert “Bill” Harrison's book, “6 Days On A Raft.” The 94-year-old Hemet resident will have his first brush with Hollywood glitz during this year's Oscars, while the book will be turned into a $30 million movie. Filming is set to start this summer.

A Navy portrait shows 23-year-old World War II U.S. Navy 2nd Class Petty Officer Herbert “Bill” Harrison. The 94-year-old Hemet resident wrote a book about surviving a super-typhoon that sank his Navy ship in 1945 that will become a movie.

A photo of the Harrison boys, clockwise from top left: Luke Harrison, Claude Harrison, Herbert “Bill” Harrison and Royce “Red” Harrison as they serve in World War II. The photo hangs at Bill Harrison's Hemet home.

Herbert “Bill” Harrison, a 94-year-old World War II veteran from Hemet, checks the fit of a tuxedo jacket in Los Angeles on Saturday, Feb. 20. He'll wear it at Oscar week events through Sunday, Feb. 28, as producers promote the upcoming filming of a movie based on his book, “6 Days on a Raft.”

Writer/director/producer Tim Lowry, left, stands with Manny Yelangueuzian, store manager at Paolo Giardini in Los Angeles. Lowry, who is directing and co-producing “6 Days on a Raft,” was buying tuxedos Saturday, Feb. 20.

A 94-year-old World War II veteran from Hemet is poised to join the glitterati for Oscars week – walking the red carpet, rubbing shoulders with celebrity nominees and autographing copies of his book.

Herbert “Bill” Harrison would never have dreamed of a week like this 70 years ago, when he nearly died as he went without food or water for six days in a life raft off Okinawa.

A super-typhoon named Ida had sunk the 23-year-old sailor’s 135-foot Navy minesweeper, killing most of the crew, shortly after the war ended.

This summer, producers expect to start filming a $30 million movie based on Harrison’s ordeal and his book, “6 Days on a Raft.”

Harrison might be a Hollywood newcomer, but the Texas native with the soft drawl is no stranger to Tinseltown’s big-picture thinking.

He wants Johnny Depp to play him in the movie.

Writer/director/producer Tim Lowry of DesertRock Entertainment thinks wires got crossed when he told Harrison they needed to line up actors after the script was finished recently.

“I said, ‘We’ve got to get to the next step.’ He said, ‘You got Johnny Depp?’” Lowry said. “I said, ‘No.’ But somehow that stuck with him.”

Lowry is partnering with his friend, director Alice Wang and her company, Datang International Entertainment, on the movie and five more in a $100 million film slate announced in November.

Harrison is getting his first brush with Hollywood glamour.

Today will be his second day of signing copies of his book and posing for photos with celebrities at a pre-Oscars gifting suite – a place where stars get pampered and choose clothes and jewelry to wear to the Academy Awards – at a Beverly Hills hotel.

On Sunday, Harrison will be recognized at the Roger Neal Style Hollywood Oscar Viewing Dinner, benefiting charities including The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health and sponsored by Datang International and DesertRock Entertainment at the Hollywood Museum, across from the Oscars.

Just being fitted for the tuxedo was exciting. At age 20, Harrison wore a blue suit in 1942 when he married a U.S. Army riveter named Ida four months after meeting her – becoming the first “super-typhoon” with that name to hit him.

Harrison had never worn a tux before last week.

“It was the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.

“It was magic,” Lowry added. “Bill’s eyes were just glowing.”

Harrison will wear the tux again at events, including the film’s Hollywood premiere.

Harrison and three other sailors were rescued at sea after escaping the USS YMS-472, which sank on Sept. 16, 1945. He has spoken about the ordeal for years at schools and churches.

Lowry met Harrison three years ago at his daughter’s school, Desert Christian Schools in Lancaster, on Veterans Day. Lowry later republished Harrison’s book with a flashier cover and made a sizzle reel video to promote the film project.

On Veterans Day 2015, Harrison, Lowry and Wang appeared on CNN International and Los Angeles radio shows.

“I told him, ‘In one day, you reached more people with your story than in all 70 years,” Lowry said. “And it’s only going to get bigger.”

There’s no release date for the movie. Lowry, who will direct, originally wanted to film off Mexico and Okinawa.

Locations are still being locked down. Raft scenes might be filmed in a large water tank used to make “Titanic” in Mexico or at Universal Studios. Ship scenes will be shot on a dry-docked World War II minesweeper, the USS Hazard, in Omaha, Neb.

Filming of the raft and minesweeper will be done with a green screen background and later digitally melded with ocean shots, saving money and avoiding the danger of filming on the open sea, Lowry said.

Harrison won’t find out he’s being honored at Sunday’s banquet until he’s asked to stand in front of about 80 celebrities – including some the producers hope will star in the upcoming movie.

Lowry said he has no idea how expensive Depp would be. Besides, he said, the movie focuses on the 23-year-old Harrison stranded on a raft. Depp is now 52.

“There’s really no part for him,” Lowry added.

However, the movie will feature the now-aged Harrison. Lowry said Depp would have to undergo a complete metamorphosis, akin to his transformations for “Alice in Wonderland” or “Black Mass,” to play the 94-year-old veteran.

Perhaps Harrison will get to meet Depp this week – and make his own pitch to the star.

Lowry didn’t tell Harrison in advance that he’ll be thrown briefly into the spotlight because he didn’t want Harrison losing sleep from excitement.

Harrison survived on a raft surrounded by sharks that ate at least one raftmate. He said Hollywood can’t throw anything at him that would make him lose sleep.

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